In Search of Justice
by Aria6
Summary: Another AU story! This one was loosely inspired by Black Butler. :  Very loosely though... anyway, Roxas pledges to give up anything in the search of justice for himself and his family. He gets Axel's help, but the redhead is not what he seems. Axel/Roxas
1. Chapter 1

"Please help me!" Roxas gasped, gripping the rock in desperation. He didn't know what the carved symbol was but he could go no further. His legs felt like rubber and he was cold, so cold, except where his blood dripped over clammy skin. Only his blood was warm now.

_What do you desire? _The question seemed to come from the depths of his mind, completely impersonal and uncaring. Roxas sobbed harshly and answered with the desire that came from the depths of his soul.

"Justice!" Justice for himself. For his family. For his sister… the world seemed to wobble for a moment but perhaps it was just his failing vision. Was he dying? This felt like dying.

_What will you pay for this desire?_

"Anything!" His voice broke on the word but Roxas meant it. He meant it with all his heart. Blood was dripping onto the symbol. Was it glowing? He didn't know or care. He was dying and this was probably nothing but a hallucination so nothing mattered.

_Anything?_

"Anything!" His voice rose to a scream and he gripped the symbol, feeling the sharp edges of the carved stone digging into his flesh. That felt real in a world gone completely mad.

_Very well._ Roxas sighed, slumping down as he felt a strange peace. As if, for a moment, a cool hand rested against his forehead, intending to give nothing but comfort and ease. It reminded him of his mother. He could remember the time she had bathed him and his sister and they had played in the warm water of the tub…

The present faded away into dreams of the past, and Roxas knew no more.

* * *

"Ho hum." Axel stretched, cracking all of his joints, then paused to scratch his balls. It was morning in the hinterlands and there was no one to impress but himself. Which was fortunate, because at the moment he looked like a disreputable beggar. The kind of beggar other beggars would drive off on account of the smell. It had been a long time between baths but fortunately he didn't really need them, although everyone else might beg to differ. But he wasn't in the mood for company at the moment and the stench kept the world at bay. Aside from the vultures who found it appetizing but nothing was perfect.

The plan for the day was to walk the path of one of the lesser ley lines and direct the power towards the great wards. That was a fairly easy task but it needed doing and there were no other hands to do it. Humans could sense the rivers of power that made the ley lines, if they were properly trained, but diverting those flows was the work of a master. And while the diversion of primary lines was stable, the smaller flows had a way of separating out and going their own way. If that was allowed to continue eventually the great ley lines would shift as well and the wards would be robbed of needed power. The human wizards would only notice at that point, and by then it would be too late. So Axel walked the path, sometimes reaching down and picking up stones, bouncing them from hand to hand.

The redhead was vaguely aware that he was old and had once had a different life. He could even remember the details if he concentrated. He tried very hard not to do that. It was much easier to simply live in the present time, recalling only a small slice of history. The ancient knowledge wasn't really worth much anyway. People always seemed to have the delusion that great secrets lay in the past but in Axel's experience it was just the same old thing.

"The dawn never gets old though." Axel murmured as he gazed off through the trees. The sun was just beginning to rise and the beautiful colors of the early morning filled his heart with joy. The quiet of the trees, the rustle of the grass, the -

_Please!_

The strength of the plea nearly sent him to his knees. Blinded with pain and a more than mortal urgency, he surged back to his feet. Clothing abruptly shifted from dirty rags to rugged leather armor, scarred and well-used. Steel wheels filled his hands as Axel headed purposefully towards the demand. The world was asking this of him, although the voice sounded like a boy…

It was a boy. Axel stopped dead as he looked at the child, collapsed in a heap, his blood oozing onto an ancient stone rune. No wonder the land had reacted so strongly. Blood magic was always the most potent and the air practically reeked with desperation. Axel checked the area briefly and his lips tightened as he realized there was taint approaching. They were close to the border and while the taint itself could not pass the wards, tainted humans and other wildlife could range freely over the land. Stopping that was the army's job and they could only do so much.

Axel bound the boy's wounds roughly, noticing the spiky blond hair and pale skin. He was unconscious now and Axel could only be grateful as he lifted the child up, resting the limp head against his shoulder. He needed to get them both well away. Concentrating hard for a moment, he fashioned an illusion of the boy and bound it to a stick. It was slightly altered though… his illusion was clearly dead, face empty and stern. It would be fully tactile but would melt away in a day. Hopefully that wouldn't matter. Axel didn't think the pursuers were planning to take the child away for a respectful burial. Hopefully they wouldn't be planning to take the corpse away to eat it.

Pushing that grotesque thought out of mind, Axel set off purposefully out of the clearing. A quick backward glance confirmed he was leaving no real tracks on the hard packed soil. Another quick check of the boy let him know that he needed to get him real medical attention and soon or the child would likely die. That would not be good at all. Axel could and would be punished if he failed the Kingdom badly enough and for some reason this boy was important.

Hopefully he would find out why.

* * *

"Unh." Roxas whimpered softly. The pleasant dreams of his childhood and home village were beginning to break up, replaced with the awareness of pain. "Ahn!" Roxas gasped as gentle hands did something that hurt. Everything hurt but the way that cloth stung was so much worse.

"He has at least three broken ribs, m'lord." A woman's voice, calm and unaffected. Along with her ministrations it reminded Roxas of the village wise woman. But who was she speaking to? He struggled to open his eyes but could not. "Many cuts although the ones on his back are half-healed. Most from a whip but this on his arm? I believe that was from an arrow. Someone was trying to kill this lad."

"A good thing they had lousy aim." A male voice this time, just as calm as the woman's. It wasn't familiar though which was reassuring. Roxas would kill himself before he let his masters catch him again. They would kill him now, very slowly. "Child, are you awake?" The man's voice was a nice tenor, Roxas noticed.

"Yes." Roxas whispered, finally managing to crack open his eyes. The light stabbed at them and he winced, turning his head away. That made pain flare in his chest and he whimpered soft as a large, long fingered hand brushed his forehead.

"Poor child. Is there anywhere in the village we can stay, sera? He won't be fit to travel for weeks." Roxas blinked tears out of his eyes and managed to lift his head. There was a blobby blur of peach and bright red that gradually resolved itself into a man. A man with bright green eyes, odd marks on his cheeks and a mournful expression. The woman beside him was grey haired and heavily wrinkled although Roxas doubted she was much past middle age. Peasant women aged quickly in the harsh borderlands. She pursed her lips for a moment then nodded.

"The widow Gana and her son Dexo might have some room, m'lord. But you'd have to pay and work." Her tone was a bit wary at the second qualification but the man just flashed her a quick smile before lifting a hand. Roxas noticed it was heavily callused and not just from a sword. He knew those marks.

"I'm no stranger to work, sera." The redhead confirmed his suspicions, his smile fading back into that vaguely sad expression. The wise woman nodded.

"So I see." She lifted herself to her feet with a grunt, straightening her skirts. "I'll go see them, ask if they can take you. Watch the boy while I'm gone, if you would m'lord." The question was clearly perfunctory but the redhead dipped his head in acknowledgement before turning back to Roxas, picking up a cup and pressing it to his lips. The blonde gulped the water gratefully, suddenly aware of how parched he was. Then the redhead carefully broke the corner off a piece of bread and began feeding him. Roxas wanted to protest that he could feed himself but when he lifted his hand, it shook far too much.

"You look like you haven't eaten properly in a week." He observed in a quiet, neutral tone. Roxas nodded slightly, swallowing the food and wishing the redhead would hurry a bit. Hunger had been an ever-present torment for so long that the slow feeding was almost maddening. Although it might be for the best. Couldn't eating too quickly after a famine hurt you? He wasn't sure but he vaguely thought it might be so. It was hard to chew the heavy bread and his next mouthful was dampened with a bit of the water. "Can you tell me what happened? Or is it too soon?" Roxas shook his head. He couldn't bear to tell the whole story right now, when he could hardly breath without sending bolts of fire through his chest. Not to mention his back and his shoulders… he just couldn't face getting the whole story out. The redheaded noble seemed to understand, just nodding. "That's fine. You can tell me when you're feeling better."

"Why did you save me?" Roxas dared to ask. He wasn't used to seeing any kind of courtesy from the noble kind. Although this man… he wasn't sure if he was a noble or not. Very few of them had the marks of hard labour on their hands, although it might just be riding calluses as well as sword ones. And the nobility could fall on hard times, but that usually made them even more vicious because of it. Roxas shivered a little at the thought but had trouble believing it of this stranger. There was something kind about his almost sad face.

"I don't know yet." The redhead said calmly, making Roxas brow wrinkle in puzzlement. "I expect you'll tell me soon." He added quietly, his gaze flicking to the door of the house. Roxas took the hint and didn't ask anymore. The noble clearly didn't want the wise woman overhearing. Still…

"Who are you?" He needed to know that at least.

"I'm Axel del Harmin." Roxas relaxed a little at that. 'Del' was a noble cognomen, right enough, but in the strict caste system of the Kingdom it was a lesser one. It was given to squires, landless knights and petty counts. Was this man a landless knight? That might explain why he would do a random good deed. Many such knights swore themselves to holy orders. "And you are?"

"Roxas Weaver." Roxas said with a touch of defiance. That simple last name was descriptive of his father's profession, the profession he'd been training for until - Roxas bit his lip, drawing a curtain over the memory then banishing it completely as the redhead gave him another piece of bread. "Or Roxas il Semili." That was his home village and 'il' marked him as a peasant but not a serf. Axel nodded, but there was no recognition in his face. "It was on the eastern border." That made a flash of surprise cross the redhead's face.

"Truly? You've travelled far. This is the west-northern border." That made Roxas remember and his face went blank for a moment as he thought about the dark carriage he'd travelled in, the windows with the curtains tied tightly shut. "Roxas?" The blonde blinked and realized the redhead was holding out another piece of bread for him. He said nothing more and Axel didn't press. The bread was joined by a bit of cheese and cucumber slices, a tiny new vegetable fresh from the garden. Roxas ate it all until he felt stuffed then let his head fall back with a sigh, wincing at the pain of the abrasions on his back. It wouldn't be anymore comfortable to lie on his chest though. The bruises there were deep and newer than the half-healed whip marks.

The wise woman bustled in and Roxas blinked as he felt the air move. Lifting his head again he saw there was a young man with the healer, a stout, muscular boy with a friendly face. He was carrying a couple poles and cloth. Axel seemed to recognize it instantly, taking it from him with a word of thanks and spreading it on the floor beside Roxas' bed. The blonde suddenly realized it was a litter and blushed faintly, trying to push himself up. But the feeling of broken ribs grinding against each other robbed him of strength.

"Roxas, no." Axel's hand was on his shoulder again and Roxas shivered faintly at the feel of those warm, long fingers. The redhead had pianists' hands, as his mother would have put it. "We'll lift you. Just stay still." Roxas nodded weakly then gasped as the redhead gripped his shoulders, the other man taking his feet. They lifted him onto the litter with one smooth move and the wise woman tucked a warm blanket around him. "Thank you sera." Axel said respectfully then spoke to the man as they lifted the litter. Roxas tried to go limp, swallowing hard at the swaying feeling. It was like being in a hammock but he hadn't done that for years. "What will I owe your mother for her hospitality?"

"Just enough to cover the food and extra fuel, m'lord." The young man sounded as pleasant as his appearance, his voice a plain baritone. "It's a cold autumn." Roxas was grateful for the blanket as they stepped out onto the dirt path. There was a cold wind blowing and he tilted his head, managing to catch a glimpse of leaves. Flashes of yellow, orange and red. He'd lost track of the seasons in his captivity although he'd known it was getting cold.

"You have my gratitude for your kind charity." Roxas was quietly surprised to hear such courtesy from a noble, even a landless knight. The boy seemed a bit surprised too but pleased.

The next week was spent in comfort in a farmhouse that reminded Roxas painfully of his past. It was well-built and cozy with a cast iron stove that gave off wonderful heat and heavy blankets to keep him warm. It wasn't long before he could shuffle along although reaching out on his left side was difficult and bending over was almost impossible. Still, he managed to use the outhouse himself, which was a mercy. He couldn't begin to imagine asking someone to help him to the bathroom.

Axel vanished for several days, leaving a few silver coins for his food and board. The widow was a pretty, middle-aged woman and very kind to him. She brewed willow tea to help with his pain and tended the bandages every day. Her son was also very nice and gradually Roxas pieced together their brief life story. Apparently the widow's husband had died from pneumonia one winter after accidentally falling into an ice river in a wagon accident. Her son had taken over working on the farm, handling everything with good cheer. He was currently courting a young milkmaid and it looked like they would be posting the banns soon. They were all happy, safe and content and Roxas felt fiercely jealous for a moment.

"We were happy too though. Until…" He muttered to himself as he looked into the bowl of chicken soup on his lap. Axel's coins had paid for several chickens to make nourishing broth and delicious suppers. He picked up the spoon and sipped, eyes vacant as he thought. His family had been this happy until horror had struck, descending on them out of nowhere. Could the same thing happen to these people? Roxas shivered as it occurred to him that it could. "Justice." He whispered the word, tasting it. He'd asked the voice for justice, not revenge, because only justice could prevent it from happening again. Revenge was a tasty dish but Roxas wanted more. He wanted -

"That smells good." The blonde started, almost spilling the soup before a warm hand caught his shoulder. "Woah! Easy there. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"I'm sorry." Roxas blinked up at Axel. The noble was wearing his leather armor and it looked grimy around the edges but still serviceable. It made him wonder a bit though. The unconscious arrogance of his bearing proclaimed him a noble but the redhead clearly wasn't at all wealthy, not wearing leather and walking everywhere. "Where did you go?" Roxas asked before sipping his soup again. There was no point in letting it get cold. Axel smiled briefly before sitting down across from him, dropping a few silver coins onto the table.

"I had to get some more money. Also, I found a horse and buggy." Roxas stared at him and Axel shrugged. "The world provides as needed."

"What do you mean?" The blonde demanded. Axel was far too mysterious for his taste. The redhead shook his head, resting his hands on the table and leaning forward. Roxas hesitated, caught by intense green eyes.

"I think you should tell me your story first. What did you ask the rune for, Roxas? And what price did it ask of you?" Axel's voice was soft, almost hypnotic, and Roxas found himself telling his story. It came out slowly, in short, halting sentences. The pain would not allow for anything else.

Roxas had been a child in a peasant village like any other. Their village was owned by the local squire, a fair and kind man with a small but well drilled retinue of soldiers. They were two days ride within the borders, not deep within the Kingdom but not part of the lawless frontier either. They should have been safe.

They weren't. One day when Roxas was eight, raiders came during the night. He didn't know how they had gotten past the army but they had swarmed over the village like locusts. Roxas didn't know for certain but he thought they had destroyed the squire's fortified manor and several other villages as well. There had been a lot of burning and a lot of smoke. His sister and parents had all been killed but Roxas had survived and been taken as a slave. Only a few slaves had been taken, all very young and pretty. Roxas could remember the jolting, terrifying ride, bound hand and foot and slung over a murderer's saddle.

Things hadn't gotten better in the enemy land. They were clearly tainted, and treated their prisoners viciously. None of them had much to eat and they learned to do whatever their captors wanted. Some tried to escape and were beaten to within an inch of their lives. What had followed had almost been worse though. An agent with only invisible taint had taken them back into the Kingdom and sold them to a dealer. From there Roxas had passed through a dozen hands before ending up in the grasp of a noble. The blonde only knew him as master. He had been required to sleep with him and various other, degrading things. Roxas began to go into detail but stopped after a few short sentences at the look on Axel's face. The cold fury there frightened him. Was the noble going to accuse him of lying? The noble kind did stick with their own…

"I see." Axel stood as Roxas watched, frozen. But the noble was just getting them some water. He came back a moment later and handed Roxas a plain earthenware mug. "That's a touch unusual. Such things are not unknown but the victims are usually from out kingdom, not our own people sold back to us." Axel's voice was calm and level but that was not reassuring. Roxas gingerly sipped his water, watching the redhead cautiously. "How did you escape him?"

"Oh." Roxas shook himself and continued the story. He'd just been lucky really. The noble had decided to go to a different villa for the winter, in a warmer part of the Kingdom and wanted to take his sex toy with him. He'd disguised Roxas as a page and kept him strictly confined to the carriage, limiting the food he ate to make him weaker and more tractable. But there was an accident. The axel broke on the unkempt roads and the carriage had to be unloaded so it could be fixed. Roxas had pretended to be completely cowed and then made a break for it the instant he could.

"Wait, the nobles men were following you?" Axel said with a frown and Roxas nodded. "They smelled of taint. Hmm. And what did you wish for when you found the rune?"

"Just… help. And justice." Roxas said reluctantly. It sounded so childish now. There was no real justice in the world… but Axel smiled sadly and nodded.

"I see. What price did you offer to pay?" He asked and Roxas frowned. The noble seemed to be taking all of this seriously. It was rather odd.

"Anything." That seemed to surprise Axel. He lifted an eyebrow, so well-shaped that Roxas wondered if he plucked them. But he didn't seem like the sort of person to do that. Maybe it was just natural. He also had lovely eyelashes, Roxas vaguely noticed. Sort of strange for someone with such strong hands.

"Anything? It didn't specify a price?" He questioned and Roxas shook his head. Axel sighed, finishing his water and pushing the mug away. "A blank note will mean a blank note from me as well, until the Kingdom writes the terms… well, you've given me your story. I suppose I should give you some of mine." Axel hesitated a moment before speaking carefully. "I'm a guardian of the Kingdom. Sort of an ancestral spirit." Roxas boggled at that. Was he serious? But then, magical creatures did exist. They were just very rare. "The rune you bled on was a ley line anchor. A very mystical place. It seems I'm bound to help you find justice for your family." Axel considered it a moment. "I'll need to think about how to do that." It would be very interesting. Roxas could not get justice if he was nothing but a peasant boy. Axel was a realist and while he didn't doubt the lads story, he knew many nobles would refuse to believe it. Not to mention that Roxas didn't even know the name of the man who had purchased him. To find out he would have to get into higher social circles. Axel suddenly frowned, his thoughts pausing. That wasn't right. The land wouldn't have handed Roxas a blank note, promising anything and taking anything for something this simple. There was more to it. How had raiders penetrated so deep into the Kingdom in the first place? Axel felt a chill at that thought but shrugged it off.

He would help Roxas find the man who had used him. Then they could think about the next move.


	2. The City

_There were forces at work in the Kingdom._

_It was only known as the Kingdom. The last realm unaffected by the creeping taint of the Wasted Lands, it was surrounded by lesser realms that gave themselves names. Once those realms had been part of it and then it had been Empire. Now it was merely Kingdom, the boundaries pulled back to their ancient stays. It was said the spirits of the great Emperors guarded over the Kingdom, protecting it from folly and despair. Maintaining the great wards that had stood for thousands of years. Others said this was merely a daydream and the skilled work of the mage-smiths was what kept the wards strong._

_Some also said the spirits of the Emperors wandered the Kingdom in human form, meting out justice and keeping the realm from descending into the subtler spiritual rot that the taint promoted. Others said that was nonsense. After all, there were no immortal Emperors to be seen. Surely such a being would be immensely strong, power and wise and ancient. Surely such a person would be noticed._

_Surely…_

* * *

Roxas huddled up against Axel, feeling like he was a small fish that had been forcibly yanked out of a tiny pool and dumped into the ocean.

It wasn't a bad comparison. Until now he'd only lived in a tiny town, then a ratty 'village' full of dirt and brutality. He'd lived in a noble's keep but he'd been kept strictly segregated from any of the servants, locked away in a tiny suite of rooms. He hadn't even been able to see daylight. Nothing had prepared him for the experience of walking through the streets of the City.

That was all it was called. The City. It didn't need any other appellation and anything else would have been superfluous. It was the largest city in the world and also the most beautiful. The sights were breathtaking, but Roxas was too overwhelmed to take them in properly. The blonde gripped Axel's hand tightly as the redhead led him onto the tram. Powered by magic, it jolted to a start and began laboriously taking the full carts of people through the huge city. Roxas had to grab a bar to hang on, suddenly realizing what the hanging bits of leather were for. A few people favored him with glares as he jostled them and Roxas blushed, huddling up against Axel again. He felt like a complete country cousin in this place.

Axel smiled down at the blonde, unable to resist thinking about how cute he was. In his original lifetime he'd never admitted it to himself but after thousands of years, the truth came easily and he knew he was attracted to men. Nothing would come of it though. Roxas was too young and even if he weren't, Axel would only be with him long enough to fulfill the obligation of the land. For now, though, he would do his best to take care of the boy. And that meant…

"This is our stop." Axel gently nudged Roxas off the car and steered him to the side, pulling out a map as the other people streamed off the platform, going to whatever jobs or errands held their attention. None of them gave the pair so much as a glance as Axel examined his map. "Hmm, yes. It should be only a few blocks from here." Axel folded the map and put it back in his coat pocket, walking away leisurely. Roxas followed, taking Axel's hand and looking up at the redhead curiously.

"Where are we going?" He asked, glancing around at the buildings. They were clearly in a trade district, full of all kinds of shops and open air stalls. Farmers were hawking their wares but Roxas noticed they were all well-scrubbed, prosperous looking farmers and the other goods on display looked to be on the expensive side. This was not a market for those low on coin.

"A haberdashery." Roxas wrinkled his nose at the unfamiliar word and Axel cheerfully explained. "That's an upper class tailor who caters only to men. Court costumes are very different between men and women so they tend to specialize."

"Oh." Roxas vaguely supposed that made sense. In his small village his father had been both weaver and tailor, although most young women were handy with a thread and needle. "Why are we going there?" Axel frowned faintly then shook his head.

"I'll explain later." Was all he said and Roxas gave him an annoyed look but didn't ask any further. He'd already found that when Axel didn't want to explain it was no use badgering him. The redhead was a master at ignoring anything he didn't care to hear.

Travelling with Axel had been an interesting experience. The buggy had been comfortable but slow and it had taken nearly two months of travel to reach the City. Although half of that time had been spent on winding country roads, which had probably contributed. Roxas had been a bit worried at first that he'd fallen into the company of a madman. An ancestral spirit, well, it was hard to accept. Axel's skill with magic and fire lighting had done nothing to make him feel better. It was said wizards and mage-smiths were more than a little crazed.

Axel's method for getting money h ad been what had convinced him. The redhead didn't do anything for his money. He just went to bed, got up and - it was there. Usually sitting by the side of the camp in a tidy little pile. When Roxas asked about it Axel had smiled and told him it was the lost money of the world, taken from shipwrecks, wishing wells and other inaccessible places. Roxas had still been a bit dubious until they day before they entered the city. The pile of money they'd woken to had been small but gleaming with the warm glow of gold and some of the coins had been so old they bore the signs of the old Empire. Axel had gathered it as it was the most normal thing in the world.

Now he was putting the money to use. The master tailor regarded them both dubiously as they stepped into the haberdashery, but he quickly brightened as gold coins came into view. Axel explained their needs courteously but with that air of deep assurance that marked him as noble. Roxas soon found himself standing like a doll as an assistant measured him and jotted down the results. It felt a bit odd. He was more used to being the one holding the tape measure. Fabrics were placed against him and Roxas looked to Axel for guidance, but he was getting his own measurements taken.

"I think the purple would look good on you, young lord." Roxas blinked at the appellation but didn't correct the assistant. He looked at the fabrics again but he didn't really care for the purple. Perhaps…

"Could I have something in black and silver?" He asked. The tailor looked at the fabric samples doubtfully. "Maybe brightened with some ribbons?"

"Ribbons?" The tailor sounded scandalised and Roxas winced, wondering if nobles put ribbons on the cuffs of their clothes. Peasants certainly did but ribbons were cheap and pretty. "Please, m'lord! Perhaps some fine lace?" They worked on it for a few moments and the tailor found a sample of a special ribbon that immediately caught Roxas' attention. It was black ribbon embroidered with beads of hematite and black diamond. "You'll be very dark for such a young man, but it will be very handsome when we're done." Roxas blinked at a soft chuckle and blushed as he realized Axel had been watching his commotion with the tailor. When had the redhead gotten done his measuring?

"I'm sure it will be wonderful, and sober is what we're looking for. When will it be done? And how much?" A spirited bargaining session began and ended with Axel paying a premium for a fast delivery. It would still be a week before they got their clothes but the redhead didn't seem the least upset as they left. "A week is good. It will give us the perfect time to prepare things."

"Prepare for what?" Roxas asked but Axel just laid a finger across his lips, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Roxas glared then suddenly stuck his tongue out at the redhead, surprising a laugh from the older man. "You should have told me before we arrived at the city if you don't want people to hear." He muttered to the redhead who shrugged.

"I didn't know myself until we arrived at the city." He said serenely and Roxas shook his head. He had a tough time with how Axel just seemed to take things on faith. But then, gold coins showed up beside his bed in the morning. Taking things on faith seemed to work for him. "Are you hungry?" Roxas stomach growled audibly and Axel smiled. "What am I saying? Of course you are." Roxas flushed at the gentle teasing note in his voice. It was true, the blonde was still growing and was always hungry even when there was plenty to eat. They found a sausage cart and picked up sausages in a bun. Roxas got his with plenty of catsup while Axel favored mustard. They spent a little time looking through the market before Axel fished out his map again.

"We should find a place at an inn and discuss our plans." Axel mused, looking through the map carefully before shutting it again. This time, though, he hailed a hackney. The horse drawn cab slid to a halt and Axel and Roxas quickly climbed aboard. "Could you take us to the corner of Mistral and Reginald please?" The driver nodded, clucking to his horses. They moved out at a slow, even gait and Roxas sighed, settling back against the horsehair upholstery. It was more comfortable than the buggy they'd used to get to the city. They had sold that just outside the city. Apparently, driving inside the city required a special permit…

Roxas blinked as Axel touched his shoulder and realized he'd dozed off. They both left the hackney and Axel handed the driver his fee, along with a tip large enough to make the man tip his cap in appreciation. Roxas glanced around alertly and realized they were in a different part of town now. There were many restaurants and inns clustered on the street, as well as a large livery stable. Clearly this was meant to cater to visitors to the city. Axel glanced over the street for a moment thoughtfully then led him towards the largest and prettiest inn on the street. They left a few moments later after Axel poked his nose into the stables and made a face at the state of them. The next inn they checked out, a bit smaller, turned out to be much better kept.

"You know we don't have horses?" Roxas pointed out, amused and Axel shrugged as they walked up to the counter.

"Doesn't matter. If they can't keep the stables clean then - ah." The innkeeper bustled out of the back, eyeing them curiously. "How much for a room for, hmm, a week?" A spirited bargaining session followed and Roxas glanced around as they talked. The inn reminded him a little of the common house at his village. It had the same cozy feeling and was just as clean, but it was clearly higher quality, with real glass in the windows and nice leather chairs rather than plain wood. The food smelled good too and Roxas had to remind himself that he'd just eaten. "And how much for a light snack for the young lord?" Roxas blushed and smacked Axel on the shoulder as the redhead grinned down at him. The innkeeper laughed.

"I'll get the missus to bring you a few buns, m'lord. No charge." The innkeeper promised and Axel nodded, satisfied as the man handed him a key. "It's on the second floor, the final room on the left hall."

"Thank you." Axel said courteously and started up the stairs. The heavy key opened the door readily and Axel glanced around approvingly before going to the wash basin and pouring himself a bit of water. Roxas examined the room as the redhead washed his face and hands. It was just as comfortable as the main room, with two beds, a desk and chair. He sat down on the bed and waited for Axel to be done with the water.

"Are you going to tell me what this plan is? And why you keep calling me young lord?" Roxas said pointedly as Axel pulled out the chair from the desk, sitting backwards on it. Axel smiled briefly but his eyes were serious.

"Because that's what you're going to be." Axel said, folding his arms over the back of his chair. "Have you ever heard of the Dukes of Haventur?" Roxas frowned, thinking. That actually did ring a distant bell but he couldn't place it. "They were all massacred about five hundred years ago."

"Oh!" That did ring the bell. Lurid, bloody stories like that were easy to remember. "Right. The Duke of Malagin summoned a reaper demon and it tore them to pieces, right?" That was the hideous aspect of the story. Nobles were always assassinating each other but usually children were spared, and the whole business was usually much tidier. Axel nodded.

"It was the culmination of a very long feud." Axel smiled then, faintly. "But there were always rumors that a daughter survived. She had been taking lessons in magic and no one found her body, so they thought perhaps she managed to protect herself and escape."

"Did she?" Roxas asked and Axel shook his head.

"No. But that's all the better for our purposes. The King at the time put the estate into a trust, to be held until a true heir reappeared." Axel paused a moment then shrugged. "There was probably some kind of political reason for it at the time. Those estates still exist and anyone who believes they have the Haventur blood can petition to be tested." Axel smiled again, this time with a predatory edge as Roxas stared. "I think it was time there was a Duke again, don't you?"

"What!" The very thought was terrifying, not to mention ridiculous. Him, a Duke? That was the second highest rank of nobility, just beneath the King himself! "What are you talking about? I'm not related to nobles!" Roxas could trace his ancestry back quite a ways, actually, and knew that for certain. Well, unless you counted the possibility that his great-great-great-great grandma had been pregnant by the squire at the time. Or she might not have been. All that was really known was that her career as a servant in the manor had ended very abruptly when the squire's wife had caught them doing something they shouldn't.

"That's where I come in." Axel waved a hand, lighting the candles on the desk. "No mortal wizard has anything like the power I have at my command, when I'm doing something for the Kingdom. The land will provide. By the time I'm done with your aura, any wizard testing you will swear you're the reincarnation of Hanterus il Haventur." Roxas swallowed at the thought and Axel's tone turned serious. "We have to Roxas. You need to be in high circles to spot this noble of yours. We also need power and a legitimate source of income. If we just pretended to be country squires someone would be questioning our funds before too long." Roxas winced at the thought and had to admit, if only to himself, that Axel was right. The resources of a Duke would come in handy. But still…

"How can I pretend to be a Duke? I don't know how they act." Roxas appealed to the redhead and Axel flashed him a quick grin.

"Don't worry. We - ah." There was a knock at the door and the redhead went to answer it, taking a small basket of buns from a smiling, middle-aged woman. "Thank you very much sera."

"It's no problem m'lord. If you need anything else let us know." She bobbed a quick curtsey then bustled off. Roxas licked his lips as he saw they'd included a small butter pat with the hard white rolls. Axel handed the basket to him and he tore a roll in half, buttering it before taking a bite.

"What was I - oh yes. Roxas, no one will expect you to know how to act. You're going to be a long lost heir raised by peasants, see?" Axel said patiently as Roxas ate. "We'll say, um… that I was investigating some ancient documents and found evidence that one of your ancestors was the escaped daughter. That will explain how I'm with you. After that, the only evidence we'll need will be the test. It should be easy." Axel decided not to mention that they would begin with enemies. He knew a bit about the trust and knew it was in the hands of a board that doled the income out to a dozen charities and various enterprises. None of them would be thrilled about losing their funding and the board would be in a fury at losing their jobs. He made a mental note to himself to watch out for assassins. "I'll teach you how to pass in noble circles. You're only thirteen. I can train you up for years before we go after your enemies." Roxas didn't like that a bit. He wasn't interested in waiting years. That must have showed in his expression because Axel smiled sadly. "We can go after some of them immediately. But your enemies include the men who destroyed your village, yes?" Roxas bit his lip and nodded. His hatred of those raiders was full and deep. "They no doubt came from Alvaros. They might have even been part of a clan chief's retinue. If that's the case, you'll have to join the army and lead a campaign to get justice against them." Axel paused and shook his head. "You can't join the army until you're sixteen and then it will take years to get into a position to move against them. Unless something else is going on." Axel's voice lowered to a soft murmur on the last words and Roxas shot him a sharp glance.

"Something else?" He finally promoted the redhead when Axel didn't go on. He blinked then shook his head.

"Just a thought. Don't worry about it. But you've waited five years for your revenge so far. You can wait a bit longer." Roxas had to be content with that and admitted to himself that Axel had a point about the raiders. They weren't part of the Kingdom and the courts would be no help against them. Only the force of arms could gain any justice there. "Let's concentrate on getting you into a position where you can do something." For now, that was the important part.

The rest would have to wait until later.

* * *

The next week was spent familiarizing themselves with the city. For Axel, it had been a long time since he'd lived here. Some things hadn't changed a bit of course. The great monuments at the centre of the city couldn't change. It made him feel oddly melancholy, seeing them again after so long. Roxas' awe helped with that though. The boy gaped at the flawless white towers, set with golden marble and utterly smooth, without any seam or crack.

"How did they make them?" He murmured as they walked through the gardens set around the spires. "And how do you get in?" There seemed to be no entrance. Axel shook his head.

"You don't. They're not real towers. They were made by magic, to be the cornerstone of the city wards." Roxas swallowed and nodded. He'd heard about the great magics the wizards of the capital could do, but he'd never really believed the stories until now. His experience with magic was with the kind you found in villages, the wise woman who used herbs and charms to set bones and discourage infections. Fertility charms, love potions and weather witching were all popular. None of it worked particularly well but it was better than nothing. Axel regarded the tower critically for a moment. "They're not perfect. The stonework is lovely but some of the castings were a bit crude."

"Uh, okay." Roxas felt a bit overwhelmed by that critique. How good a wizard was Axel anyway? "Will you be teaching me magic?" He asked hopefully then felt a stab of disappointment as Axel shook his head.

"Learning magic is a full time job, like mastering any trade. I might teach you a few tricks but you'll have far too much to learn already." Axel reminded him gently. Roxas sighed and looked at the gardens. They were full of apple and maple trees, just beginning to loose their leaves. The flowerbeds were crumpled and worn from early frosts. Still, he could see how beautiful it would be in the middle of the summer.

"Pretending to be a Duke is going to be hard." Roxas murmured to himself and stared as Axel suddenly turned and touched the tip of his nose with one outstretched finger. The redhead was grinning at him and Roxas was charmed by the genuine good humor in his face.

"Not pretending! You are a Duke. Remember that Roxas. From now and forever, you are a Duke." Axel said and Roxas blinked at the command in his voice.

"I'm a Duke!" He said, trying to sound convincing. His voice broke midway through, which really didn't help at all. Axel laughed and Roxas noticed… "And you are my servant! Go fetch me a seed cake!" He pointed at the little vendor near the tower. He was doing a slow, leisurely business but his products looked delicious. Axel grinned and swept a mocking bow.

"As you wish m'lord." Roxas smiled to himself as Axel went to get him something to eat.

Maybe this Duke thing wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

At the end of the week they had their new clothes. Roxas smoothed down the front of his silk shirt, looking at himself in the mirror. He was wearing knee high socks, held up by cunningly made bands and also a bow that tied at the back of his knee. Axel helped him with that, tying the silk ties into neat little bows. Above the knee was his britches, made from the same black cloth as his vest. The vest was trimmed with that beautiful black ribbon and the mother of pearl buttons shone beautifully against the black. Another piece of the black ribbon went around his throat and Axel tied it into place for him.

"Hold out your arm, please." Axel asked and Roxas did it, feeling like he was in a trance as the redhead fixed the cufflinks in place. They were white gold and black diamond, matching the rest of his clothes. "The other one…" Roxas looked down at his hands, tilting his arm to look at the cufflinks for a moment before looking back into the mirror. "All done. What do you think m'lord?"

"Axel, if I'm a Duke then you do what I say, right?" Roxas asked and Axel lifted his eyebrows a touch before nodding. "Then call me Roxas." The extra formality just wasn't right, not when they were in private at least. A slow smile crossed Axel's face and he dipped his head.

"Of course Roxas." Roxas swallowed at the warm tone in his voice and hastily looked at the mirror. It was like looking at a different person. His hair had been trimmed and styled a bit, keeping the natural spikes but making them look more kept up. His eyebrows had been plucked and his hands and feet had been given an expert manicure. If Roxas hadn't known better he would have thought a noble really was looking back at him. A bookish sort of a boy, perhaps, but a noble all the same. "Are you ready?" Roxas turned to look at Axel for a moment. He was dressed as a very high class butler or manservant. His clothes were every bit as expensive as Roxas', although far less elaborate.

"Axel? Is it going to be okay that you're a noble too?" Roxas suddenly asked. That thought hadn't occurred to him until this moment. Axel smiled and waved off the concern.

"Oh, that won't be a problem. Younger sons and penniless lesser nobles often take service with powerful lords. Most as armed retainers and knights, but there's always a few who take the majordomo post. That's what I'll be to you. Shall we?" Roxas nodded and Axel put on his black top hat before stepping outside and hailing a hack. Roxas had to fight to control his nerves as they went directly to the Duke's estate.

They were expected of course. Axel had already sent a letter ahead, several days ago, requesting an appointment to have his charge tested. They were met by a man with flaxen hair, dressed in red velvet. Roxas swallowed as he recognized the attitude. Axel's arrogance - if that was even the right word for it - was just born from the firm conviction that he was valuable. But some nobles took that conviction and went to the next logical step, that anyone lower than them wasn't. This man was clearly one of them and he ignored Axel as if he didn't exist.

"So you're the boy who claims to be the lost Duke." A sneer crossed his face as he looked Roxas up and down. "Hmph. I've seen better fakes. You don't even have the look of them."

"I assure you, there is substance beneath the surface of our claim." Axel said politely, sweeping off his hat in an elegant and well practiced bow. Roxas took a bit of pleasure in the faint surprise on the sneering man's face. "I am Axel del Harmin and this is Roxas il Haventur. And who might you be, kind sir?"

"I am Lordes van Hilsi." The man said after a tiny pause as he reorganized his thinking. He'd clearly dismissed Axel as some kind of servant at first. "Well, come along. The wizards are waiting. Let's get this farce over with in time for tea." Axel smiled, his green eyes cold as placed his hat on a convenient rack. No servant offered to take it which Roxas thought was a bit disrespectful. Or was it normal? He couldn't be sure.

"I would not care to keep you from your tea, m'lord." Axel said gravely as the man walked away. Roxas saw his shoulders stiffen ever so slightly at the faintly mocking edge to Axel's voice. The interactions were subtle, but no more subtle than the way his mother had communicated her feelings. She'd been a sensitive woman who expected other people to show equal sensitivity. It hadn't made her terrible popular in the village but it was helping Roxas now.

The wizards waiting for them were an interesting pair. One old and very fat, looking quite ill tempered, the other young, weedy and cheerful. The weedy one was carrying a small velvet box like a sacred treasure. Roxas looked at it curiously, wondering what it was for.

"This is the boy?" The old wizard looked him over with a jaundiced eye. Roxas swallowed hard before lifting his chin and meeting his gaze squarely. "Well, let's get on with it. I'm late for tea." Roxas had to fight not to giggle. His nerves were acting up, but it really was amusing.

"It's not the tea you're missing, it's the biscuits." The young wizard said with a smile, opening his box. "Here we are. The signet ring of the Haventur house." He set the box onto a delicate end table. The carving on it was so fine that Roxas almost hesitated to touch it. "Don't be bashful lad. Put your hand on the table near the box." Roxas set his hand down on the dark wood as the wizard extracted the ring. Setting it down on the table he intoned a spell. It was mostly in words Roxas didn't understand but the final ones… "And as this seal represents Haventur, let it go to the hand of the one who owns the blood." The ring jolted onto his hand with an almost painful snap. Roxas winced, glad the ring was actually too big for him as it bruised his fingers. There was a surprised silence from the two wizards and Roxas glanced at Lordes, who had a blank look on his face.

"Never done that before." The old wizard said thoughtfully. Axel smiled as the noble's shock quickly turned to anger.

"Ridiculous! There's a mistake. Do the other tests." He demanded furiously and the wizards quickly complied. A piece of hair taken from one of the slain Haventur also proclaimed him the heir, slithering up to his head to join his real hair. That was a bit uncomfortable, particularly since Roxas couldn't find the false hair afterwards. He didn't really want hair from a five hundred year old dead person on his head. The other tests were less physical and more mystical, but they all bore out the same thing. "This is a trick! Are you even doing the spells properly?" Lordes asked the wizards sharply, making them both bridle. Roxas wasn't surprised. High wizards like these were a caste apart and didn't appreciate having arrogant noblemen question their professional expertise.

"Of course we're sure. I've had this duty for the past thirty years, fool." The old wizard snarled at him. "These are not difficult spells and there is no way for mortal magic to falsify these results." Roxas noticed the qualifier there. Mortal magic. But Axel wasn't mortal at all, was he? "Where are the papers we need to sign?" The noble's face was turning an unflattering shade of purple. The young wizard found the papers, setting them on the table and both wizards signed and left their magical marks. A starburst of red for the old wizard and a flower of blue for the young. "You must sign too mlord." The old wizard said with a noticeable lack of respect. "As a witness." Almost shaking with fury, Lordes took the paper and scribbled his name. Axel and Roxas both followed, setting their names to the parchment.

"This is going to be interesting." The young wizard murmured as the noble stalked away. Roxas swallowed, sure he was right. They'd just made their first enemy. He wondered why the man was so offended though… was he getting money from managing the vacant dukedom? Probably. But Axel would know what to do.

"No doubt. Now where's the tea? I expect tea for this." The old wizard grumped and Axel laughed, gesturing to a nervous young parlour maid. She came over hesitantly, glancing at a nearby footman for instruction. He nodded sharply and she faced them with a smile.

"Tea in the parlour for everyone, please." Axel requested and Roxas let him take charge of things. Axel hadn't had time to teach him how to act with servants or be a proper noble, but there would be time for that later.

All the time in the world.


	3. Day One

Roxas sighed as he began to wake. At first the feeling of soft bedcovers and a warm feather bed alarmed him. He expected to feel his master's damp palm and a command to get up and - but then other things registered and Roxas began to relax. There was no light, not like there would have been in his master's room. And the scents were all wrong. There was a delicate whisp of sandlewood in the room from the incense stick Axel had burned the previous night to air the place out. Roxas made a drowsy mental note to ask him if they could do that again. Incense was expensive but he was a duke now.

A duke, only he wasn't, not really. Roxas couldn't help but be anxious about that. Axel was so sure he could learn to be a noble but was that even possible? He'd always believed there was some magic to being born noble. Axel didn't seem to think so and he was noble. What did it mean? He sighed and curled up in the bed, enjoying the warm feeling of the blankets. After a moment he reached out and brushed his fingers against the base of the lamp by his bed. The wick inside caught instantly, a subtle bit of magic laid into the lamp. Filtered through the golden glass the light it shed was warm and comforting. Roxas sat up and stretched, glancing around the room again. There was a wardrobe, simple but perfect and made out of darkly varnished wood. A long silvery mirror was positioned in the corner of the room. The frame was carved and gilded in the image of sea monsters and Roxas' tried to imagine how much such a mirror was worth. His imagination failed, which was probably for the best. Slipping out of bed, he padded over the soft, thick carpet and opened the door to the wardrobe. Looking at the clothing dubiously he -

"Good morning!" Roxas started then flinched away as Axel strode into the room, smiling and carrying a towel slung over one arm. "Slept well I trust?" He said cheerfully before opening a door to the right. "Ready for your morning bath m'lord?"

"Huh?" Roxas said, confused, as Axel laughed softly. Then he lowered his voice, speaking more seriously.

"The water here is magically heated and piped through the house with mechanical pumps." Axel explained as Roxas stared. In his home village taking a hot bath meant heating the water in a kettle, many times. It was a laborious process. "Higher nobles who can afford this bathe every day."

"Really? Oh." Belatedly Roxas realized that was probably why his master had expected him to clean himself daily. But he'd only been given a sponge and a basin of cool water, with a full bath once a week. Also cold. It hadn't been very pleasant. "That sounds wonderful." Some of his best memories as a child were when the whole family got together and heated up the water for bathing. Mother and father went first, but then they heated up a second round of water and had fun bathing the children. Roxas could still remember the smile on his sister's face when -

"Roxas?" A gentle hand on his shoulder. Roxas blinked away the mists of memory as he looked into Axel's concerned face and realized he was almost ready to weep. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry." Roxas took a deep breath, banishing the memories to the back of his mind. He didn't want to cry in front of Axel. "Just remembering… so how does this work?" There were odd nozzles and spigots. Axel showed him how one tap and nozzle controlled the hot water and the other controlled the cold. The two mixed together in the tub and Axel examined several bottles on the wall as Roxas set the temperature to what he wanted. The redhead sprinkled something in the water and Roxas looked at him a touch nervously. "Uh… are you going to stay?" This was getting a bit awkward. Right now he was in a frilly nightshift. Axel gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Of course. I'm your manservant now, remember? This is part of my duties." Roxas stared at him, taken aback, and Axel's smile turned a little rueful. "Admittedly it's not really necessary with your short curls, but if you ever decide to grow them out into a proper court style you'll see why."

"Oh." Roxas shook his head and tried to think of it like - like Axel was his father. Or an older brother. That was hard though when the redhead helped him out of the shift, their fingers brushing at odd times. Roxas felt a tingle at the contact and had to swallow hard before stepping into the tub. It was so confusing sometimes. He knew, abstractly, that he should be looking at girls, not a man who was so much older than him. But that was what he knew…

Warm hands worked a cool gel into his hair and Roxas sighed as strong fingers massaged his scalp. This was extremely pleasant actually. Roxas sighed and began washing himself as Axel rinsed out his hair. It might be the redhead's job to help with his hair, but he doubted that extended to anything else. Or at least he hoped not. It seemed he was right because Axel didn't object. Roxas glanced up at the redhead through lowered lashes and saw he was gazing away, a thoughtful look on his face. Should he hurry to get done? But he liked the way the hot water felt and it was barely cooling.

"Take as long as you like." Axel murmured and Roxas blinked in surprise. It was like he'd read his thoughts. "We have a long day ahead of us. So much to do, so little time." Axel looked at him again and smiled sadly. "You're probably not going to be too happy with me when the day is over."

"Why not?" Roxas couldn't help the apprehension in his voice. What was Axel hinting at? The redhead laughed softly, leaning against the edge of the tub.

"Oh, well. We're going to be spending the morning working on your knowledge of history, mathematics and literature. Then we'll take a break for lunch. After that we'll work on your swordplay for a while then I'll start teaching you to ride. And after that, we'll do a short etiquette lesson. It's going to be a very full day and you probably won't like most of it. I didn't, when I was a child." Axel's expression turned vaguely sad again and Roxas wondered what his childhood had been like. Thinking about it didn't seem to cheer him. "Then we'll have supper and tend to some business."

"Oh." Roxas frowned then shrugged. "I'll do what I have to do." Learning might not be fun but it was a lot better than being a slave. And he was in wonderful surroundings. Leaning back he sighed, just enjoying the heat of the water for a moment. Then he reluctantly pulled himself up. "We should get started." He vaguely wondered if he could take another bath before bed. If the water was unlimited here there was no reason he couldn't. Roxas dried himself but then Axel took the towel and dried his back for him. The redhead seemed oblivious to his nudity but Roxas was keenly aware of it as Axel opened the wardrobe and began looking through the clothing.

"This is all very old stuff, things the servants found packed away with anti-decay charms." Axel explained as he pulled out a silk shirt. "It's not five hundred years old, thank the gods, but it is at least fifty. I've placed a second order at the haberdashery but it's going to take time for them to deliver." Roxas nodded. He was sure the tailor had more customers than just them and while he might rush one order, he couldn't rush a lot of them. "What color would you like? We have purple, grey and red. Oh, here's… wait." Axel lifted something up with a frown and Roxas put a hand over his mouth. "Oh. Um. Well, it looks like there's no underwear." The lacy thong he'd held up was definitely not appropriate to a man and in Roxas' opinion looked very uncomfortable as well.

"That's fine." Roxas said firmly. The clothing looked more than soft enough anyway. "I'd like the red." The pants and coat were a heavy but plush fabric and the shirt that went with them was a soft cream, covered in bows and ruffles. It would look good even if it was very old fashioned. Axel nodded and helped him into the shirt, doing up the buttons. Roxas could have done that himself but Axel pushed his hands away when he tried. "Duke, remember? Eventually you'll have a proper manservant and you'll need to know how to act."

"Oh." That hadn't occurred to him and Roxas let Axel do up the shirt, shivering faintly at the way his fingertips brushed him. Axel paused to fix a ribbon that was beginning to come loose and Roxas stared at him, the absorbed expression on his face as he tried to get the little piece of fabric to stay…

_He's so… so handsome… _Roxas' breath came faster as he imagined those hands on him. Touching, holding and stroking as Axel murmured something endearing in his ear. He could imagine that warm voice saying something wonderful and loving, not dirty and vile like his old master. The way it would feel when they…

"Roxas?" Roxas blinked, slowly becoming aware that Axel was watching him. There was suppressed mirth in his voice and his green eyes were bright. "I'm very flattered but this is going to make getting your pants on a bit awkward." Horror suddenly struck as he realized what the redhead was referring to. His state of mind had been communicated to his body and without any underwear the results were distressingly evident.

"…!" Roxas jerked away violently, crossing his hands over the evidence. "I - I'm sorry!" The words rushed out as shame and disgust filled him. How could he DO something like that? "I didn't mean to I just - I'm sorry, it's so dirty, I'm sorry -" Warm hands gripped his shoulders as he started to sob. Axel was going to think he was disgusting.

"Roxas, shhh, it's alright." Axel's voice was soothing but that wasn't really much comfort and the tears he'd been struggling to hold back slipped out, sliding down his cheeks. "Roxas. Come on, it's okay. It's not dirty and it's not disgusting. Shh." Roxas hiccupped as Axel's arms slipped around him, pulling him into a hug and stroking his hair. He found himself cradled against Axel's chest, warm and secure.

"Y-Yes it is." He managed to say and Axel paused a moment.

"Well, maybe it is a bit dirty. But it's not your fault and I'm not offended." Axel's tone went from soothing to gently humorous. "Calm down, okay? We just need to make sure you don't do that for another valet or there will be some pretty strange rumors going around about you." Roxas sniffed as the tears tapered off. It was hard to believe Axel wasn't horrified, but if he wasn't…

"Axel, do you like boys?" He asked, greatly daring. There was a pause and he winced, fearing he had offended the redhead this time. But then he answered.

"Not precisely. I like men." Roxas swallowed at that and lifted his head from Axel's shirt, looking into bright green eyes.

"Do you want me?" Roxas persisted, wondering why he was doing this. His feelings were so confused. But he needed to know. Axel hesitated a moment.

"No." Roxas stared at him and Axel quickly added. "Not yet. Roxas, you're a beautiful boy." Axel's hand cupped his chin and the blonde swallowed at the feeling of warm fingers and calluses. "But you're still a boy. Someday maybe, but not yet."

"Oh." Roxas felt both relieved and disappointed. Relieved that Axel wasn't like his old master, yet disappointed that he didn't want him. Or so he said. Roxas thought he could catch a hint of desire in warm green eyes. Axel patted his shoulder before letting him go.

"Let's get you dressed. We have a long day ahead of us." Roxas took the hint and let Axel dress him. Fortunately his body didn't act up this time.

It was time to see what a noble did all day.

* * *

Axel watched Roxas tear into his food with a small smile.

It was lunch time. Roxas had done fairly well in his lessons, a touch to Axel's surprise. But as it turned out the blonde had been tutored by the local priest. His family had paid extra for the privilege, hoping they might eventually have a second son and Roxas could be sent to the local university. The education had been cut off abruptly five years ago but Roxas' handwriting and reading skills were still very good. His knowledge was oddly spotty, but that was explained when Roxas told him that his noble master hadn't cared if he read the books in his study. But they had been according to his master's taste so he had a very good knowledge of alchemy, astrology and natural history. Axel wondered for a moment if they could use that to help pick out the man who'd owned him but then shelved the idea. Those particular interests weren't really that uncommon among the nobility.

As they ate Axel's thoughts went back to the scene in Roxas' bedroom. He hadn't expected the child to react that way at all. If he'd thought about it at all he'd expected Roxas to be glad he wasn't interested in the blonde. But Roxas had looked so crushed when he'd said that… and, in truth, he'd been lying. He was very attracted to the blonde. But Roxas was thirteen and badly damaged by his experiences. What would sleeping with him do to him in the long run? Axel firmly pushed the idea aside. He wasn't going to find out. At least, not yet.

"This is really good." Delight brightened Roxas' face and Axel smiled as the blonde sampled the cool soup. Lunch was on the light side, so he wouldn't be too full for practice. The winter gourd soup was perfect for that, smooth and delicately spiced.

"It's one of my favourites." Axel agreed and Roxas gave him a curious look as he tried his own soup. He didn't really need to eat but it was a comforting habit.

"Axel, why do you always put yourself between me and any windows?" Axel almost choked on the soup. He hadn't expected Roxas to notice. Axel hesitated, meeting unnervingly intelligent blue eyes as he sought an answer. Finally he settled on the truth.

"I'm expecting someone to attempt to murder you." Roxas' eyes widened a touch but it was the only sign of surprise on his face. He nodded slowly as Axel went on. "It's the trust fund. Remember how I told you it's been managed by a board?"

"Yes?" Roxas frowned slightly. "You think they've been stealing from it?" Axel shook his head.

"Not exactly. It's not that simple. The estates have been managed by the board on behalf of the King and your family. I doubt anyone has resorted to outright thievery, not on that level at least. But there's been plenty of other lucrative opportunities." Axel grimaced slightly. He'd worried a bit about this aspect but it would help flush out some of the worst people in the Kingdom. And the land had approved of his plan. "The income from your estates has been going to various charities. Almost certainly, the members of the board have been involved in kickback schemes and sweetheart deals." Roxas frowned in confusion and Axel explained. "They've been given gifts to award grants, and awarded grants to pay back their own debts. There's no actual law against it but it's still graft, and if the King were overseeing things carefully… but he's not. They've had free rein to play with your fortune and they won't give that up easily."

"And you think they would try to kill me? It seems a pretty big step." Roxas ventured and Axel shrugged.

"Anyone they hire will be very professional. I intend to make it clear you're an expensive victim. A few slain assassins and the price for their efforts will go through the roof." Roxas paled a little at his matter of fact tone but nodded. Axel was pleased to see how composed he was at the thought that someone might want to kill him. But then, he'd seen his whole village go up in smoke. It probably wasn't as strange for him as it would be for a lot of people. They ate in silence for a while and Roxas hummed to himself as he enjoyed the crusty white bread and the pumpkin seed salad that went with the soup. Axel didn't mention that he'd checked everything for poisons before it reached the table.

The sword practice was next and it didn't go as well as the tutoring. Roxas really had no idea how to use a weapon and Axel had to be careful with him, slowing down and taking things step by step. But Roxas quickly proved he had a great deal of native agility to call on and Axel was soon sure he could make a good fighter out of the boy. But…

"If anyone tries to challenge you to a duel, do your best to refuse." Axel told Roxas as they were cooling down after the lesson. "You're only thirteen. Technically no one should be able to cry insult on you. Remind them of that." Roxas just nodded, accepting it. Axel just hoped his temper didn't get the better of him. He was a young man and while his pride might still be flattened for a while it would eventually come back up. "I'm not teaching you to duel, I'm teaching you to kill, and that would actually be a problem in a duel."

"Let me guess. It's dishonourable to kick someone in the fork?" Roxas murmured and Axel blinked before barking a laugh.

"Something like that." Actually it was exactly like that. He'd worked on a move Roxas could use against an assassin that involved kneeing him or her in the groin and running like hell. A lot of his lesson had been for things that could be used against an assassin. "Now it's time for you to meet your horse."

"A horse? Really?" Roxas' head came up and he stared, his blue eyes wide. "For me?" Axel had to hold back a laugh when he saw the boy was serious.

"Of course. I told you I was going to teach you to ride, remember?" Axel teased him gently and Roxas blushed. "Did you think we would use a rocking horse?"

"No but I - I thought you would lease…" Roxas voiced died away as he realized that was silly. Why would a duke lease a horse when he could simply by one? "There are stables here?"

"Of course. Also a good bit of property to take a ride on." Axel answered. The estate was on the outskirts of town and there was a very large herb and flower garden, but also some virgin forest. Axel intended to be on the lookout for ambush when they rode through it but he was confident in his ability to keep Roxas safe. The land would give him the gifts he needed.

The horse he'd gotten for Roxas wasn't really something to gladden most nobles hearts. Axel had picked him out from the stables because the stable master said he was a retired schooling horse, put out to pasture by a noble who genuinely cared for him. An aged gelding with a swayback, he was still sound and could do a bit of light riding as long as his arthritis wasn't acting up. The blonde didn't seem to notice that his horse was ancient and fed him a carrot before touching a soft nose. Roxas beamed in pleasure and Axel smiled, reminded that very few peasants owned horses. A weaver or tailor certainly wouldn't. Axel's horse was a bit different. A young mare who, according to the stable master, desperately needed more exercise. He anticipated an interesting ride but that would be no problem.

As it turned out, he was correct. He had to ride the mare through some rather impressive bucks but then she calmed down and consented to be ridden. The gelding gave Roxas no problem at all and Axel took him on a short ride through the woods, teaching him as they rode. It wasn't the best way to start but Axel didn't think they would have much time.

As it turned out, he was right about that.

"Hellfire. Already?" Axel looked at the invitation in disgust. He'd expected them to show up by the end of the week but not during supper on the first day. Roxas looked at it curiously as Axel broke the seal. "Hm. It looks like we're invited to a tea party. Probably so the ladies can get a look at you." Shaking his head, Axel set it to the side. "I'll politely decline it later."

"Decline? But it's just a tea party." Roxas sounded a bit startled and Axel had to smile. He knew the blonde was probably used to the town peasant variety of tea parties, which was a gab session between the women. A young boy might go to a party like that but he'd be expected to down a few sandwiches, be cute long enough for the other ladies to marvel at him, then bolt out to go fishing or some other pastime with his friends.

"You would be expected to play upon the ladies and make conversation about the subtle differences between a silver cloud tea and a sweet ambrosia." Axel said as Roxas looked a little alarmed. "Also you would need to know a bit of poetry to quote at the appropriate times. Actually, you might be able to handle it if you steered them onto astrology but we couldn't count on that. Don't worry, you'll get a chance to be bored sick some other time."

"Oh, thank you!" Roxas laughed and Axel smiled as the blonde took another slice of duck. The kitchen had done a wonderful job and Axel made a mental note to talk to the cook. If she or he was trustworthy as well as skilful, he would see the cook got a raise.

Business that night consisted of Roxas getting measured while Axel had quiet interviews with his chief underlings. That didn't go as well as he'd hoped, but it wasn't as bad as he'd feared. His powers let him read their emotional reactions and a few well placed questions told him a great deal about their loyalties. He would have to replace several staff, and soon. Others he marked to be replaced later, due to the general personalities he sensed and his take on their probable future loyalty. He wanted Roxas to be surrounded by the best. When that was done, he cast another spell. This one was designed to attract the kind of people he wanted, the agents he would need in the coming weeks. They needed to be discreet, capable and loyal. He didn't expect many people would answer the call but there would be some.

If he was going to clean this up he would need all the help he could get.


	4. FINALLY OMG!

The estate was dark and quiet. All the servants were in bed save one.

Darkness stirred and separated itself from the shadows. Creeping through the house it began methodically checking all the bedrooms in the noble wing. There was no frustration, only deadly patience as it worked its way through the estate.

Finally it found the right room. The door opened with only the faintest groan, and the figure on the bed did not stir. Blonde hair was fanned out over a soft pillow and the owner of the hair was snoring softly. The shadowy figure's eyes narrowed as it slowly drew a knife then gasped in shock as a blade slid neatly in from the side, travelling under ribs and directly into the heart. Axel left the blade in place, watching the assassin collapsed onto the fine carpet. He waited until any movement had stopped before hoisting him - no, her up onto his shoulder.

_A woman this time? Unusual. _Axel mused to himself as he carried out the body, quietly closing the door. He would have to tell Roxas about the attempt tomorrow but there was no reason to wake him. For now he would add the corpse to a private burial ground in the woods. Axel thought about the situation as he dug a new grave. There was no point in taking a professional assassin alive. Any good hired killer would use several cut-outs to preserve the anonymity of his or her clients. He was hoping that sooner or later, whoever was hiring them would resort to someone a bit less professional. He didn't plan to kill the person hiring them, but he did plan to leave them a very pointed message.

So far, all the attempts had been in the mansion and at night. Those were easy for him to foil, since all he needed to do was ward the estate to alert him at any unusual movement. Axel was sure that would change soon and it wouldn't be a good thing. An arrow or crossbow bolt from hiding, well… he was sure the land would help him but it would not be nearly as easy. And there was always the possibility of a magical attack. That would be fun to take care of but Axel didn't like revealing the extent of his own abilities.

_I__'__m forgetting something - oh, yes. _Axel quickly searched the woman. The only items of interest she had were several vials that likely held poisons and a golden lavalier around her neck. He hesitated a moment then left that in place. She could take it to the next world.

Axel refilled the grave quickly, wishing he'd dared used magic to remove the body. But using magic to kill opened a link between himself and death and death struggled to claim him. Even turning the body to ash was asking for problems. That was a limitation that had given him problems in the past…

_Don__'__t worry about it. Have faith in the land. _Axel reminded himself. But it was less comforting than it could have been. The Kingdom would provide him with the tools he needed to succeed, but he could still fail.

Nothing in life was ever guaranteed.

* * *

"The scent reminds me of cinnamon and cloves." Roxas mused as he sipped his tea. "It's very strong. The clover honey definitely helps soften the rough edges. I think I detect a subtle hint of anise." Axel looked pleased until Roxas added. "And boiled weeds."

"Roxas!" Axel laughed, taking a sip of his own tea. It was afternoon and instead of riding practice, he had decreed an etiquette lesson on how to have a proper tea. "You're going to get a reputation as a crashing boor." He teased as he picked up a sandwich. A dainty little thing, it was stuffed with a savoury pork pate and crunchy cucumber slices. "Here, try a bit of this." Axel poured Roxas a tiny sampling of another type of tea. They had four small pots to choose from and he was keeping them warm with a small spell. Roxas added a bit of sugar then tentatively sipped the tea. "Can you tell me the differences?"

"Boiled weeds versus more boiled weeds?" Roxas joked with a smile but then tried his best. Axel wanted a real answer. "This is a much lighter flavor. The first was a cured leaf tea and this isn't, correct?" Axel nodded, pleased. "Is this chamomile? Mother used to give me that when I was sick." The smoothness of the tea seemed familiar and Axel nodded again.

"You wouldn't want to say that at a tea party though." Axel warned him. "They're always getting fancy tea varieties for those and even when something is technically just a variety of chamomile, you don't want to point it out." Roxas nodded, committing that to memory. There was a lot of things to remember about interacting with nobles. Fortunately, some things were easier than others and it didn't take long for him to get the hang of criticizing tea. It helped that the whole business was very subjective. If you knew the vocabulary and a few basics of how tea was made, you were most of the way there. It reminded Roxas a bit of his uncle. He'd been the smith of the town and his one hobby had been wines. He'd talked about them like this and most of the villagers had avoided mentioning wine anywhere near him… unless they wanted a discount on his work. "Roxas? You still there?" Roxas blinked, realizing Axel had been trying to talk to him for a while.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I was just thinking about my uncle." Axel's expression invited him to continue so Roxas did, explaining. "He would talk about wine the same way."

"Oh!" Axel laughed lightly. "It's much the same but the vocabulary is different. Fortunately, not all nobles are expected to be wine snobs. Tea snobbery, on the other hand, is an epidemic." Axel made a face as Roxas laughed. "It's considered so cultured, you see. Wine is a bit tarnished with the fact that people get drunk on it."

"I suppose that makes sense." Roxas took one of the afternoon sweets, a tiny jam tart. A nibble showed him there was almond paste mixed in with the jam and he quickly devoured it, savoring every crumb. Now that he was eating the food a real noble ate, he understood why so many of them were overweight. In fact, it seemed rather amazing now that so many weren't. "Axel, can I go see my horse before supper?" Roxas asked wistfully. He was really falling in love with the old school horse. Axel nodded.

"We can take a short ride if you like." Axel preferred to take Roxas away from the stables for his riding lessons. Even with that small precaution, he knew the stablehands were whispering about how quickly Roxas was learning and speculating that he couldn't really be a beginner. Which was fair enough, since Axel was cheating shamelessly. Soon, the boy would be required to jump.

"Sir?" One of the parlourmaids entered the room, carrying a silver tray with a beautifully engraved note. "This just arrived for you, sir." Roxas looked over curiously as Axel accepted the note with a smile.

"Thank you Kata." He said politely and hid his amusement as the maid blushed and dipped a quick curtsy. She wasn't used to being recognized so directly by a nobleman. Axel reflected on that as he broke the dark blue seal of the note, scattering the wax. Thinks had changed since his day, and not always for the better. "Damn." He muttered as he perused the note.

"Another invitation?" Roxas sipped his tea, smiling. A smile that faded as Axel set the note on the table and looked up.

"Unfortunately, it is." Axel pushed it over and Roxas picked up the paper, struggling to read the elegant calligraphy. "And not one we can refuse."

"It's from the _King?_" Roxas sounded appalled. Axel shook his head, reaching for his own tea.

"Not exactly. An invitation from the King himself would hold too much social weight. It's clear from the phrasing, though, that the King wants to take a look at you." Roxas swallowed hard at that and Axel smiled sympathetically. He'd never gone through it himself but he could imagine how terrifying that was for a former peasant boy. "If we refuse we risk making enemies."

"Am I ready?" Roxas' voice was small and scared. Axel winced and reached to gently grip his shoulder.

"No." Roxas' eyes widened at that blunt assessment. Axel smiled and gently squeezed his shoulder. "We'll have to cheat."

"Cheat?" Roxas said uncertainly. Axel hadn't told him about the short cuts he was taking with his riding and the blonde had no idea that learning to jump a horse in three weeks wasn't really possible. Not if you wanted to avoid traumatic head injuries. Axel nodded.

"But I can't… hmm." Axel took his hand away, noticing Roxas' quick indrawn breath. He couldn't implant much more information without risking damage to Roxas' mind. Not immediately, maybe, but long term damage would be even worse in its way. And the thought made Axel wince. He really liked Roxas and wouldn't do that to him if there was any other choice. "Well, you can say hello to your horse tonight. But you won't be riding him." Axel quickly decided. The old school horse was a fine animal but he wasn't up to jumping. "We'll take out that bay mare. You need to practice your jumping." This time of year, a common court activity was a royal hunt. Roxas would need to keep up. Although that also presented dangers… Unfortunately, a completely different danger presented itself as soon as they reached the stables.

"Jumping m'lord?" The stablemaster sounded appalled and Axel couldn't really blame him. He was a young man with wispy brown hair, already receding from his scalp. He was also one of the new hires that Axel had picked for his loyalty and ability. The former stablemaster had been tightly bound to someone else, so Axel had pensioned him off. "He's not ready for that! Are you mad?"

"Tell me how you really feel." Axel said dryly and the man blushed but held a stubborn expression. "I have no choice Rodney. He's going to need to go hunting with the court soon." The stablemaster muttered something and Axel pretended he hadn't heard. There was a reason the man had been looking for a job despite his skill with horses. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing." Their eyes met for a long moment and Rodney finally sighed, gesturing with one hand.

"Uncanny, you are. Don't get the young lord killed." Axel gave him an encouraging smile as one of the stable boys led out the bay. She was a beautiful creature, not at all difficult if you didn't yank on her mouth. She was a good jumper as well, which was what Axel needed. The old school horse was gazing at them soulfully, sensing that he wouldn't be coming out today. Roxas paused by his stall to pet him and feed him a carrot before joining Axel.

"Small jumps." Axel called as they set out the course and warmed up the bay. When the grooms were done Roxas swallowed hard, then mounted the bay in a smooth move. The rest of the practice went well and the grooms all marveled at how quickly Roxas developed a good, if unorthodox jumping style. Axel didn't tell them that equestrian pursuits had been a bit different when he'd been alive, and he'd developed his style back then… the same style he was imparting to Roxas. When they finished the blonde slid off the bay and gripped the saddle, leaning against the horse. She blew into his hair and the blonde petted her nose, but Axel could see he was almost exhausted.

"My head hurts." Roxas muttered and the redhead bit his lip. They were getting very close to the limit of the information he could impart. Axel took his arm and Roxas looked up at him in surprise.

"You should take a rest." The redhead said firmly and Roxas looked ready to object for a moment, then nodded and rubbed his head. He really wasn't feeling well. "And have a few sweets." Riding was work and Roxas could probably use some energy, especially with the information overload. The blonde blinked at that then smiled up at him.

"Would you have a sweet with me?" He kept his voice low as a groom trotted up to take the bay, walking her slowly to cool her. Axel arched an eyebrow, easily catching the double meaning there. But…

"Certainly. We can go over your history lessons." Axel said blandly and Roxas winced before catching the impish gleam in his mentor's eyes.

"You never let up!" Axel shrugged at Roxas amused and slightly exasperated tone. They went back into the manor and when they reached the study Axel pulled a velvet cord. It didn't take long for one of the maids to arrive, slightly out of breath.

"M'lord?" She bobbed a curtsy and Axel smiled at her, which made her blush and give him a flirtatious look. Axel noticed Roxas giving her an unfriendly glance and sighed to himself. The blonde really needed to hide his attraction better.

"We could use a snack. Maybe some sugared strawberries?" He suggested. Strawberries were not in season, but the property included a greenhouse that supplied all kinds of fruit. She dimpled at him before bobbing another curtsy and departing. "So, Roxas. How has your reading been going?" Axel turned back to his pupil. Roxas was sitting in a huge, comfortable leather chair. It made the blonde look even shorter than he really was.

"Very well." Roxas said promptly, then gave Axel a sidelong glance. "I noticed there were some pages missing from the history I was looking at."

"Really? How odd." Axel put everything he had into the lie, smiling easily as he cursed to himself. He'd bee very careful when he'd mutilated the book, but he'd had to leave a bit of the pages in place to avoid compromising the binding. "Well, I wouldn't worry about it. It probably wasn't too important. What can you tell me about the Fall of Light?" That was well after his creative rearrangement. Roxas frowned for a moment, then smiled as the food arrived. They both waited as the maid settled the tray down on a long, low table. Axel noticed with amusement that there was a fresh pot of tea accompanying it. He poured Roxas a cup, adding a generous dollop of honey before passing it over to the blonde.

"Thank you." Roxas said politely as he took a strawberry slice. "Well, the book said that the priests of Hanatur were trying to cleanse the land of evil." Axel nodded. "But they didn't do it right. It only appeared that the land was cleansed of evil and it finally broke through, causing the taint."

"That's what most people believe." Axel agreed. "But it's not correct." Roxas blinked at him and Axel smiled, a touch sourly. "I existed through that time period, so I do know."

"Oh, of course. What really happened?" Roxas was very curious. Everyone knew about the taint. Outside the boundaries of the Kingdom, everything was affected by it. Plants, animals and humans all twisted into strange and dangerous forms. Even worse, the taint could work more subtle changes. An invisible rot of the soul, those with the hidden taint were like a beautiful apple eaten up by a worm. Beautiful on the outside, hideous within. Axel sighed and rubbed his eyes for a moment.

"It begins with the religion of the time. You've read about Hanatur?" Axel asked and Roxas nodded. "It was an extremely strict and rigid religion. For instance, the noble that bought you would have been burned alive, if his crimes had been found out."

"Good." Roxas muttered and Axel smiled, a thin, razor edge expression.

"You would have been as well." Roxas' jaw dropped as Axel laughed. "Obviously you were suffering a sin of lust to submit to such an unnatural coupling." Roxas stared at the redhead, struck by the bitter sarcasm in his tone. "A taint that could only be removed by holy fire."

"You're joking." Roxas protested, but half-heartedly. He could tell Axel was dead serious. "They really believed that?" Axel took a long drink of his tea before answering.

"Worse. Same sex couplings of any kind were anathema. There were all kinds of strange prohibitions. Eating rats and pigs was absolutely forbidden." Roxas blinked again at that. He wasn't interested in eating a rat but it beat starving. And pigs? Pigs were wonderful animals although you did have to be careful with how you prepared the meat. Bacon was amazing though. "You've read about how debauched the ancient emperors were?" Roxas nodded cautiously. "That's a gross exaggeration. You have to remember that the priests mostly wrote the accounts of that era. So their idea of debauchery was sleeping with two women at the same time." Roxas sniggered and Axel managed a smile. "The problem was, for several centuries, the emperors kept losing ground to the priesthood. Eventually the last emperor of the old line was murdered without an heir, and the high priest of the Hanatur was anointed emperor." Axel paused, eyes unfocused as he remembered. "That worked reasonably well for about two hundred years. That's when everything went wrong."

"The Holy Emperor Charistos felt that the people were too sinful." Axel's tone now was only regretful. "He felt they were spending too much time on pleasures of this world, and not enough contemplating heaven. He felt that the very nature of humanity needed to change so we could come closer to the holy light." Roxas nodded with a small frown. That was logical but seemed impossible. "He was a great and powerful wizard. All magery was confined to the priesthood, by the way… anyway, he gathered up all the most powerful mages and began creating a massive spell."

"A spell to remove all evil from the land." Roxas prompted him when Axel stopped. The redhead took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes. And it seemed to work. Except in the Kingdom. The priests of Hanatur had moved the capital to Genese… I'm sure you read that…" Roxas nodded. Genese had been a huge city on the banks of the Spirit Lake. It was outside the Kingdom, towards the south east. "So they were frustrated at the failure but not terribly concerned. In a way, it was a pity the capital was moved. If the spell had been cast within the limits of the Kingdom we could have stopped it cold with the wards. You see, that spell was what caused the Taint."

"What?" Roxas stared at Axel and the redhead shrugged, gesturing vaguely with one hand.

"I couldn't explain all the magic to you. But a state of perfect goodness is profoundly unnatural. Evil is a great and primal force, a vast undercurrent in the world. It is also necessary. Without the darkness, there is no light. Without evil to give it form, good is worthless. If no one has a choice but to be good, there is no virtue…" Axel stopped, realizing he was probably just confusing Roxas. The blonde was looking at him very intently though. "The spell just wasn't right. The ancestral spirits, like myself, protected the heart of the Kingdom from it. We used the wards, which are part of the land, to create a great shield. Emperor Charistos tried to break it again and again, tried to bring us into the fold, but we held out long enough for the Taint to arrive and consume him."

"I see." Roxas chewed his lip for a moment, trying to think of a question. "Axel, who were you when you were alive?" He suddenly blurted out and the redhead paused in the act of taking a sip of tea.

"No one important." Axel answered lightly, taking a slice of the strawberries. "Now, how about your math? Are you understanding all the problems?" Roxas hesitated then went with the change in topic. But Axel caught the curiosity in his face and was sure that question would come up again.

It was not a question he planned to answer if he could avoid it.


End file.
